Positioning Solitaire From surface to seabed

By Marco Kwanten

Hydrographic Society Benelux Wednesday, 14 October 15

Allseas fleet

SolitaireSolitaire AudaciaAudacia LorelayLorelay

Tog Tog MorMor Calamity JaneCalamity Jane Pioneering Spirit

Solitaire is the world’s largest pipelayer

5 Boeing 747-400s

Solitaire specification

Length (incl. stinger)

:Length (excl. stinger)

:

Breadth

:Stinger length

:

Minimum radius

:Installed power

:

Maximum speed :

Tension capacity :

Pipe diameters

: Pipe storage

:

Multi-purpose crane

:Accommodation

:

(1302 ft)(984 ft)(135 ft)(459 ft)(394 ft)

(69,063 hp)

(2315 kips)

(661 kips)

397 m300 m41 m

140 m120 m

51,500 kW13.5 knots

1050 t2”

to 60’’

22,000 t300 t

420 persons

Tasked to lay pipe from A to B

From beach to fork

From subsea target box to target box

Avoiding ‘danger’ areas

Laying through tiny corridors

Crossing rock berms

Lay around pre-installed counteracts

Displacement initiator

Buckle initiators

Lay inside lay corridor

Requirements

•

Hardware•

Software

•

Human touch

GNSS antenna locations

Main mast

Gantry mast

Stinger cantilever

Main mast and gantry mast

Two sets of 2x GNSS receivers with:•

2x L-band corrections (each)•

1x GNSS antenna (each)•

Input from one of the 2 Inmarsat

domes•

QC computer•

NTRIP corrections (Network Transport of RTCM data over IP)

GNSS setup

During unguided lay, heading is very important. With a layback of 600 m in shallow waters, 0.4°

heading difference (Octans

precision of 0.1°

seclat

at 1σ

translated to 60°N at 2σ) amounts to a 4.2 m difference on the seabed.

In deeper waters the layback may increase to several kilometres,

but next to heading, the current starts playing a role. Corridors are usually wider in deeper waters.

Heading

• PPP heading shows 0.1°

difference, roll induced as height difference between antennas is 15 m

• LD7 heading is noisier that Octans

heading• PPP heading is noisier than LD7 heading• Octans

units do not seem to drift >0.05°

from LD7

On pipeline heading

• PPP heading shows -0.2°

difference, roll induced as height difference between antennas is 15 m

• LD7 heading is noisier that Octans

heading• PPP heading is noisier than LD7• All 3 Octans

units have different drift, but well within their specs within this period

In a curve

Stinger tip monitoring

ROV from support vessel

ROV on board Solitaire

Layback is calculated from the bead stall to touchdown and is dependent on lay vessel tension:•Pipe parameters (wall thickness, coating, steel grade etc.)•Stinger settings (radius, departure angle)•Client/DNV criteria•Depth•Dynamics (shifting TD point)

Varies from ~400 m to 3500 m

Layback

Online display

Helmsman display

ROV over pre-lay during touchdown monitoring

Polarled animation

Questions?